Stirrup



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I). W. CLARK, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT.

s'rIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,299, dated October 9, 1.860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itfknown that I, DAVID W. CLARK, of Stratford, Fairfield county, and State of Connecticut, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Stirrups for Saddles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawing is a perspective view of my invention, having one of the side pieces hinged. Fig. 2 is a side eleva tion, showing both side pieces hinged. Fig. 3, is a side elevation showing the side pieces made elastic. Fig. t is a detached View of the loop. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a stirrup having elastic sides, all in one piece.

The object of my improvement is to render the side pieces ot' the stirrup adjustable in respect. to their distance apart, so that any stirrup may be adjusted to suit the size of the boot or shoe or foot of the rider, or of dii'erent riders; and so that the toot ot the rider will also, when desired, be prevented from passing too tar through the stirrup, thereby preventing liability to accident in case of the riders fall from the saddle.

A, B, are the side pieces of the saddle, and they are hinged or jointed together by a rivet at C, so that they may be opened apart or closed together. kind of joint by which they are united at C is immaterial, so long as it is strong and the parts A, B, are allowed to be adjustable in respect to each other, as shown.

In Fig. l, the part A is extended up higher than the part B, and turned over so as to form a loop D to receive the stirrup strap, by which loop the stirrup is suspended from the saddle. Instead ot attaching the loop D to the part A, it may be made ot a separate piece and have both the parts A, B, jointed to it as shown in Fig. 2, the parts A, B, being jointed to loop D by the pivot C. The lower extremity of each of the parts A B is provided with a horizontally eX- tended foot piece E, E, which is made quite thin, and arranged to fit one over the other shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 5, and thus present the appearance externally of the ordinary stirrup. The extremities of the foot pieces E E are notched out at (a) so as to admit The particularthe side pieces A, B, when the latter are adjusted toward each other.

The side pieces are held in the desired position or adjustment by means of a set screw F which passes through a slot (b) in the lower foot piece E, into a nut in the upper foot piece. By screwing upthe screw F the two foot pieces will be firmly clamped together; and by loosening the screw F the foot pieces, being no longer clamped, may be moved laterally and the side pieces A, B, may be thus adjusted at t-he pleasure of the rider. It is obvious that other means for holding the foot pieces in the desired position may be employed in place of the set screw F. Between the foot pieces and the joint C, I arrange an arched or other shaped spring G the ends of which are riveted or screwed to the side pieces A B respectively. Vhen the side pieces are opened this spring G, will flatten so as to compensate for the increased distance, and when the side pieces are closed the spring Gr will assume the arch form as show n. The use of the spring G is to prevent the foot of the rider from being turned sidewise in the stirrup, and also to draw the side pieces toward each other so that, when desired, by loosening the screw F the side pieces will be :tree to be acted upon by the spring G, and then, when the side pieces are adjusted to any particular part of the riders foot, the spring will cause them to remain in that position, by its tendency to draw the side pieces together thus clamping the foot.

rThe side pieces A, B, may be made of steel and rendered elastic so that they will close together owing to their elasticity, when pressed with the hand, and they may be re` tained in the position to which they are thus adjusted by the screw F as before described.

In Fig. 3 the side pieces A B are made ot' steel and by their thinness rendered elastic as just mentioned. The foot pieces E E are attached to these side pieces in the same manner as shown in Figs. l and Q. The loop D however is made 1n a separate piece (as shown in Fig. 4:) and the upper ends of the elastic side pieces are riveted to the lower parts of the loop D as shown in Fig. It preferable the foot pieces, side pieces and loop may be all composed of one piece of steel, bent into the proper form, the foot the modication Fig. 5. The side pieces are adjusted and held in the desired' positon'by the screw F and slot in the lower bottom piece as before mentioned.

- When the stirrup is constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 it presents the. advantage of Vertical elasticity in addition to the lateral adjustability of the side pieces. Y

'The spring Gr may be used in connection with any of the formsof stirrups herein shown.

When the loop D is made separate and the vside pieces jointed thereto as in Fig. 2, the

said loop becomes self adjustable in respect to the strap by which the stirrup is suspended from the saddle, so thatl the strap will always draw evenly'upon the upper part of the loop; the strap is thus prevented from Wearing out unevenly, or cutting at one side.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new yand desire to secure by Letters Patent Y l. The making of the side pieces of stirrups adjustable in the manner and for the purposes substantiallyv as herein shown and described.

2. The spring Gr between the side pieces when arranged and operating as set forth. 

